1  Then said YHWH unto me: 'Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people; cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.

1  And the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before my face, my soul could not be toward them: dismiss this people, and let them go forth.

1  THEN the LORD said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading, yet my soul would not be pleased with this people; but I will cast them out of my sight and let them go.

2  And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee: Whither shall we go forth? then thou shall tell them: Thus saith YHWH: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.

2  And it shall be, if they say to thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord; As many as are for death, to death; and as many as are for famine, to famine; and as many as are for the sword, to the sword; and as many as are for captivity, to captivity.

2  And if they say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Those who go to death, shall go to death. And those who go to the sword, shall go to the sword, and those go to famine, shall go to famine, and those who go to captivity, shall go to captivity.

3  And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith YHWH: the sword to slay, and the dogs to drag, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy.

3  And I will visit against them in four ways, says the Lord: by the sword, to kill; and by dogs, to tear apart; and by the birds of the air and by the beasts of the earth, to devour and to scatter.

3  And I will decree against them four kinds of afflictions, says the LORD: The sword to slay, the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the air and the wild beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

4  And I will cause them to be a horror among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

5  For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? Or who shall bemoan thee? Or who shall turn aside to ask of thy welfare?

5  Who will spare thee, O Jerusalem? and who will fear for thee? or who will turn back to ask for thy welfare?

5  For who will take pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will feel sorrow for you? Or who will go to prayer for the sake of your peace?

6  Thou hast cast Me off, saith YHWH, thou art gone backward; Therefore do I stretch out My hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

6  You have abandoned me, says the Lord. You have gone backwards. And so, I will extend my hand over you, and I will destroy you. I have labored to plead with you.

6  You have forsaken me, says the LORD, you are gone backward; therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and destroy you; and I shall not spare you again.

7  And I fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I bereave them of children, I destroy My people, since they return not from their ways.

7  And I will completely scatter them; in the gates of my people they are bereaved of children: they have destroyed my people because of their iniquities.

7  And I will scatter them with a winnowing fan at the gates of the land. I have killed and dispersed my people, and yet they have not turned back from their ways.

8  Their widows are increased to Me above the sand of the seas; I bring upon them, against the mother, a chosen one, even a spoiler at noonday; I cause anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly.

8  Their widows have been multiplied more than the sand of the sea: I have brought young men against the mother, even distress at noon-day: I have suddenly cast upon her trembling and anxiety.

9  She that hath borne seven languisheth; her spirit droopeth; her sun is gone down while it was yet day, she is ashamed and confounded; and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith YHWH.'

9  She who gave birth to seven has become weak. Her life has faded away. Her sun has set while it was still daytime. She has been confounded and shamed. And the remainder of them I will give over to the sword in the sight of their enemies, says the Lord.”

9  She who has borne seven children languishes; her pride is gone; her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been ashamed and confounded; and the rest of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the LORD.

10  Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them doth curse me.

10  “O my mother, woe to me! Why did you conceive me, a man of strife, a man of discord to all the earth? I have not lent money at interest, nor has anyone lent money at interest to me. Yet everyone is cursing me.”

10  Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me a judge, a rebuker to the whole earth. I am neither a debtor, nor a creditor; yet all of them curse me.

11  YHWH said: 'Verily I will release thee for good; verily I will cause the enemy to make supplication unto thee in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

11  Be it so, Lord, in their prosperity; surely I stood before thee in the time of their calamities, and in the time of their affliction, for their good against the enemy.

11  The Lord says: “Certainly, it will be well with your remnant. Certainly, I will run to meet you, in the time of affliction and in the time of tribulation, against the enemy.

12  Can iron break iron from the north and brass?

12  Will iron be known? whereas thy strength is a brazen covering.

12  For he is hard as iron and as brass.

13  Thy substance and thy treasures will I give for a spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

13  Your riches and your treasures I will give over to be freely despoiled, because of all your sins, even throughout all your borders.

14  And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not; for a fire is kindled in My nostril, which shall burn upon you.'

14  And I will lead in your enemies from a land that you do not know. For a fire has been kindled in my fury; it will burn upon you.”

15  Thou, O YHWH, knowest; Remember me, and think of me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away because of Thy long-suffering; know that for Thy sake I have suffered taunts.

15  O Lord, remember me, and visit me, and vindicate me before them that persecute me; do not bear long with them; know how I have met with reproach for thy sake, from those who set at nought thy words;

15  “You know me, O Lord. Remember me, and visit me, and watch over me, because of those who persecute me. In your patience, do not choose to let me endure. You know I have suffered reproach because of you.

16  Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart; because Thy name was called on me, O YHWH God of hosts.

16  consume them; and thy word shall be to me for the joy and gladness of my heart: for thy name has been called upon me, O Lord Almighty.

17  I sat not in the assembly of them that make merry, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand; for Thou hast filled me with indignation.

17  I did not sit in the company of mockers, nor did I glorify myself before the presence of your hand. I sat alone, because you filled me with threats.

17  O LORD God of hosts, I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, but I was afraid because of thy hand, and I sat alone; for thou hast filled me with indignation.

18  Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, so that it refuseth to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?

18  Why do they that grieve me prevail against me? my wound is severe; whence shall I be healed? it is indeed become to me as deceitful water, that has no faithfulness.

18  Why has my sorrow become never-ending, and why has my wound become so dire that it refuses to be cured? It has become for me like the deception of untrustworthy waters.”

19  Therefore thus saith YHWH: If thou return, and I bring thee back, thou shalt stand before Me; and if thou bring forth the precious out of the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth; let them return unto thee, but thou shalt not return unto them.

19  Because of this, thus says the Lord: “If you will be converted, I will convert you. And you will stand before my face. And you will separate what is precious from what is vile. You will be my mouthpiece. They will be converted to you, but you will not be converted to them.

20  And I will make thee unto this people a fortified brazen wall; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith YHWH.

20  And I will present you to this people as a strong wall of brass. And they will fight against you, and they will not prevail. For I am with you, so as to save you and to rescue you, says the Lord.

21  And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

21  for I am with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee out of the hand of wicked men; and I will ransom thee out of the hand of pestilent men.

21  And I will free you from hand of those who are most wicked, and I will redeem you from the hand of the powerful.”

16:1  The word of YHWH came also unto me, saying

1  And thou shalt not take a wife, saith the Lord God of Israel

1  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying

16:2  Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.

2  and there shall be no son born to thee, nor daughter in this place.

2  “You shall not take a wife, and there shall be no sons or daughters for you in this place.

16:3  For thus saith YHWH concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them, and concerning their fathers that begot them in this land

3  For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters who are conceived in this place, and concerning their mothers who give birth to them, and concerning their fathers, from whose stock they have been born in this land

16:4  They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

4  They will die from grievous mortal illnesses. They will not be mourned, and they will not be buried. They will be like manure on the face of the earth. And they will be consumed by sword and by famine. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the land.”

16:5  For thus saith YHWH: Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament, neither bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people, saith the YHWH, even mercy and compassion.

5  Thus saith the Lord, Enter not into their mourning feast, and go not to lament, and mourn not for them: for I have removed my peace from this people.

5  For thus says the Lord: “You shall not enter the house of feasting, and you shall not go to mourn or to console them. For I have taken away from this people, says the Lord, my peace, my mercy, and my pity.

16:6  Both the great and the small shall die in this land; they shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them;

6  They shall not bewail them, nor make cuttings for them, and they shall not shave themselves for them

16:7  neither shall men break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

7  and there shall be no bread broken in mourning for them for consolation over the dead: they shall not give one to drink a cup for consolation over his father or his mother.

7  And they will not break bread among themselves for the sake of him who mourns, so as to console him over the dead. And they will not give them a chalice to drink, so as to console them over their father and mother.

16:8  And thou shalt not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and to drink.

8  Thou shalt not enter into the banquet-house, to sit with them to eat and to drink.

8  And so, you shall not enter the house of feasting, so as to sit with them, and to eat and drink.”

16:9  For thus saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

16:10  And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt tell this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee: 'Wherefore hath YHWH pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the YHWH our God?'

10  And when you announce all these words to this people, they will say to you: ‘Why would the Lord pronounce all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity and what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’

16:11  then shalt thou say unto them: 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me, saith YHWH, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law;

11  Then thou shalt say to them, Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord, and went after strange gods and served them, and worshipped them, and forsook me, and kept not my law;

11  And you shall say to them: It is because your fathers abandoned me, says the Lord. And they went after strange gods, and they served them and adored them. And they abandoned me, and they did not keep my law.

16:12  and ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that ye hearken not unto Me;

12  But you have acted even worse than your fathers. For behold, each one walks after the depravity of his own evil heart, so that he does not listen to me.

12  And you have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, you walk away every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that you may not hearken to me;

16:13  therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye have not known, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; forasmuch as I will show you no favour.'

13  And so, I will cast you out of this land, into a land that you do not know, and that your fathers did not know. And in that place, you will serve, day and night, strange gods who will not give you rest.

16:14  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that it shall no more be said: 'As the YHWH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

14  Now, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when it shall no more be said, The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

16:15  but: 'As YHWH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries whither He had driven them'; and I will bring them back into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

15  but, The Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel from the land of the north, and from all countries whither they were thrust out: and I will restore them to their own land, which I gave to their fathers.

15  but instead, ‘As the Lord lives, who led the sons of Israel away from the land of the north,’ and from all the lands to which I have cast them out. And I will lead them back into their own land, which I gave to their fathers.

16:16  Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith YHWH, and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.

16:17  For Mine eyes are upon all their ways, they are not hid from My face; Neither is their iniquity concealed from Mine eyes.

17  For my eyes are upon all their ways. They have not been hidden from my face, and their iniquity has not been concealed from my eyes.

16:18  And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have profaned My land; they have filled Mine inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable things and their abominations.

18  And I will recompense their mischiefs doubly, and their sins, whereby they have profaned my land with the carcases of their abominations, and with their iniquities, whereby they have trespassed against mine inheritance.

18  But first, I will repay their double iniquities and their sins. For they have defiled my land with the dead bodies of their idols, and they have filled my inheritance with their abominations.”

16:19  O YHWH, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge, in the day of affliction, unto Thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say: 'Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, vanity and things wherein there is no profit.'

19  O Lord, thou art my strength, and mine help, and my refuge in days of evil: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the end of the earth, and shall say, How vain were the idols which our fathers procured to themselves, and there is no help in them.

19  “O Lord, my strength, and my health, and my refuge in the day of tribulation: the Gentiles will approach you from the ends of the earth, and they will say: ‘Truly, our fathers possessed a lie, an emptiness that has not benefited them.’

16:20  Shall a man make unto himself gods, and they are no gods?

20  Will a man make gods for himself, whereas these are no gods?

20  Behold, men make gods to themselves, and they are no gods.

16:21  Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know, this once will I cause them to know My hand and My might; and they shall know that My name is YHWH.

21  “Concerning this, behold: I will make it clear to them, in this turn. I will reveal to them my hand and my virtue. And they will know that the Lord is my name.”

17:1  The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond; it is graven upon the tablet of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars.

1  “The sin of Judah has been written with a pen of iron and a point of diamond. It has been engraved upon the breadth of their heart and upon the horns of their shrines.

17:2  Like the symbols of their sons are their altars, and their Asherim are by the leafy trees, upon the high hills.

2  And their sons make a remembrance of their shrines, and their sacred groves, and their leafy trees on high mountains,

2  And their idols are under every green tree and upon every high hill and upon the mountains and in the open country.

17:3  O thou that sittest upon the mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures for a spoil, and thy high places, because of sin, throughout all thy borders.

3  by sacrificing in the field. And so, I will give over your strength and all your treasures to be despoiled, along with your exalted places of sin, within all your borders.

3  I will give all your riches, all your treasures to the spoil, and that which is throughout your territory, because of your sins.

17:4  And thou, even of thyself, shalt discontinue from thy heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not; for ye have kindled a fire in My nostril, which shall burn for ever.

4  And you will be left behind without your inheritance, which I gave to you. And I will cause you to serve your enemies in a land that you do not know. For you have kindled a fire in my fury; it shall burn, even unto eternity.”

4  And I will cause you to lose the inheritance which I have given you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you do riot know; for you have kindled a fire in my anger, which shall burn for ever.

17:5  Thus saith YHWH: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the YHWH.

5  Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and will lean his arm of flesh upon him, while his heart departs from the Lord.

5  Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is a man who trusts in man, and who establishes what is flesh as his right arm, and whose heart withdraws from the Lord.

17:6  For he shall be like a tamarisk in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited.

6  And he shall be as the wild tamarisk in the desert: he shall not see when good comes; but he shall dwell in barren places, and in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.

6  For he will be like a saltcedar tree in the desert. And he will not perceive it, when what is good has arrived. Instead, he will live in dryness, in a desert, in a land of salt, which is uninhabitable.

17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in YHWH, and whose trust the YHWH is.

7  But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord shall be.

17:8  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but its foliage shall be luxuriant; and shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

8  And he shall be as a thriving tree by the waters, and he shall cast forth his root toward a moist place: he shall not fear when heat comes, and there shall be upon him shady branches: he shall not fear in a year of drought, and he shall not fail to bear fruit.

8  And he will be like a tree planted beside waters, which sends out its roots to moist soil. And it will not fear when the heat arrives. And its leaves will be green. And in the time of drought, it will not be anxious, nor will it cease at any time to bear fruit.

17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceeding weak--who can know it?

9  The heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man, and who can know him?

9  The heart is stubborn above all things; who can understand it?

17:10  I YHWH search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

10  I the Lord try the hearts, and prove the reins, to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruits of his devices.

10  I am the Lord, who examines the heart and tests the temperament, who gives to each one according to his way and according to the fruit of his own decisions.

17:11  As the partridge that broodeth over young which she hath not brought forth, so is he that getteth riches, and not by right; in the midst of his days he shall leave them, and at his end he shall be a fool.

11  The partridge utters her voice, she gathers eggs which she did not lay; so is a man gaining his wealth unjustly; in the midst of his days his riches shall leave him, and at his latter end he will be a fool.

17:12  Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, thou place of our sanctuary,

12  An exalted throne of glory is our sanctuary.

12  “A high and glorious throne is the place of our sanctification from the beginning.

17:13  Thou hope of Israel, YHWH! All that forsake Thee shall be ashamed; they that depart from Thee shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the YHWH, the fountain of living waters.

13  O Lord, the hope of Israel, let all that have left thee be ashamed, let them that have revolted be written on the earth, because they have forsaken the fountain of life, the Lord.

13  O Lord, Hope of Israel: all who forsake you will be confounded. Those who withdraw from you will be written into the earth. For they have abandoned the Lord, the Source of living waters.

17:14  Heal me, O YHWH, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for Thou art my praise.

17:15  Behold, they say unto me: 'Where is the word of YHWH? let it come now.'

15  Behold, they themselves are saying to me: ‘Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come.’

17:16  As for me, I have not hastened from being a shepherd after Thee; neither have I desired the woeful day; Thou knowest it; that which came out of my lips was manifest before Thee.

16  But I have not been weary of following thee, nor have I desired the day of man; thou knowest; the words that proceed out of my lips are before thy face.

16  But I am not troubled; I am following you as my shepherd. And I have not desired the day of man, as you know. That which has gone forth from my lips has been right in your sight.

17:17  Be not a ruin unto me; Thou art my refuge in the day of evil.

17  Be not to me a stranger, but spare me in the evil day.

17  May you not be a dread to me. You are my hope in the day of affliction.

17:18  Let them be ashamed that persecute me, but let not me be ashamed; Let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed; Bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

18  May those who persecute me be confounded, but may I not be confounded. May they be fearful, and may I not be fearful. Lead over them the day of affliction, and crush them with a double destruction.”

18  Let them be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be defeated, but let me not be defeated; bring upon them the day of evil, and defeat them with double defeat.

17:19  Thus said YHWH unto me: Go, and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

19  Thus says the Lord to me: “Go, and stand at the gate of the sons of the people, through which the kings of Judah enter and depart, and at all the gates of Jerusalem.

19  Thus said the LORD to me: Go and stand at the public gate by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

17:20  and say unto them: Hear ye the word of YHWH, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates;

20  and thou shalt say to them, Hear the word of the Lord, ye kings of Juda, and all Judea, and all Jerusalem, all who go in at these gates

20  And you shall say to them: Listen to the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and all of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter through these gates.”

17:21  thus saith YHWH: Take heed for the sake of your souls, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

21  thus saith the Lord; Take heed to your souls, and take up no burdens on the sabbath-day, and go not forth through the gates of Jerusalem;

21  Thus says the Lord: “Guard your souls, and do not choose to carry heavy things on the day of the Sabbath, nor should you carry these things through the gates of Jerusalem.

17:22  neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work; but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers;

22  and carry forth no burdens out of your houses on the sabbath-day, and ye shall do no work: sanctify the sabbath-day, as I commanded your fathers.

22  And do not be willing to cast burdens out of your houses on the day of the Sabbath, nor should you do any work. Sanctify the day of the Sabbath, just as I instructed your fathers.

17:23  but they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

23  But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear. Instead, they hardened their neck, lest they listen to me and receive discipline.

17:24  And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto Me, saith YHWH, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

24  And this shall be: If you listen to me, says the Lord, so that you do not carry in burdens through the gates of this city on the day of the Sabbath, and if you sanctify the day of the Sabbath, so that you do not do work in it,

17:25  then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited for ever.

17:26  And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places round about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the Lowland, and from the mountains, and from the South, bringing burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and meal-offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving, unto the house of YHWH.

26  And men shall come out of the cities of Juda, and from round about Jerusalem, and out of the land of Benjamin, and out of the plain country, and from the hill country, and from the south country, bringing whole-burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and incense, and manna, and frankincense, bringing praise to the house of the Lord.

26  And the people shall come from the cities of Judah and from the places round about Jerusalem and from the land of Benjamin and from the plain and from the mountains and from the south, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD.

17:27  But if ye will not hearken unto Me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

18:1  The word which came to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying

1  The word that came from the Lord to

18:2  'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words.'

2  Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there thou shalt hear my words.

2  “Rise up and descend into the house of the potter, and there you will hear my words.”

18:3  Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was at his work on the wheels.

3  So I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.

3  And I descended into the house of the potter, and behold, he was making a work on the wheel.

18:4  And whensoever the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

4  And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make it.

4  And the vessel, which he was making with his hands out of clay, broke. And turning away, he made another vessel, for it had been pleasing in his eyes to make it.

18:5  Then the word of YHWH came to me, saying

5  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

18:6  'O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith YHWH. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel.

6  Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are ye in my hands.

6  “Am I not able to do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done, says the Lord? Behold, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

18:7  At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

7  Suddenly, I will speak against a nation and against a kingdom, so that I may uproot, and destroy, and scatter it.

18:8  but if that nation turn from their evil, because of which I have spoken against it, I repent of the evil that I thought to do unto it.

8  and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposed to do to them.

8  If that nation, against which I have spoken, will repent from their evil, I too will repent from the evil that I have decided I would do to them.

18:9  And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

9  And if I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plant it;

9  And soon, I will speak about a nation and about a kingdom, so that I may build and plant it.

18:10  but if it do evil in My sight, that it hearken not to My voice, then I repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit it.

10  and they do evil before me, so as not to hearken to my voice, then will I repent of the good which I spoke of, to do it to them.

10  If it does evil in my sight, so as not to listen to my voice, I will repent of the good that I have said I would do to it.

18:11  Now therefore do thou speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith YHWH: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you; return ye now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

11  And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.

11  Now, therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am forming an evil against you, and I am considering a plan against you. Let each one of you return from his evil way, and direct your ways and your intentions well.”

18:12  But they say: There is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.'

12  And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart.

12  And they said: “We have lost hope. And so we will follow our own thoughts, and each of us will act according to the depravity of his own evil heart.”

18:13  Therefore thus saith YHWH: Ask ye now among the nations, who hath heard such things; the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

13  For this reason, thus says the Lord: “Inquire among the Gentiles. Who has heard of such horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done to excess?

18:14  Doth the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? or are the strange cold flowing waters plucked up?

18:15  For My people hath forgotten Me, they offer unto vanity; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast up;

15  Yet my people have forgotten me, offering useless libations, and stumbling in their ways, in the paths of the world, so that they walk by these on an unmarked route.

15  Yet my people have forsaken me and have burned incense to vanity and have stumbled in their ways, and have departed from the ancient paths to walk in a way which was not trodden.

18:16  To make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

16  And so their land has been given over to desolation and to perpetual hissing. Each one who passes by will be astonished and will shake his head.

18:17  I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will look upon their back, and not their face, in the day of their calamity.

17  Like a burning wind, I will disperse them in the sight the enemy. I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their perdition.”

18:18  Then said they: 'Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.'

18  Then they said, Come, and let us devise a device against Jeremias; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.

18  And they said: “Come, and let us devise a plan against Jeremiah. For the law will not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor a sermon from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us pay no attention to any of his words.”

18:19  Give heed to me, O YHWH, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

19  Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.

19  Attend to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.

18:20  Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them, to turn away Thy wrath from them.

20  Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they meant for me; remember that I stood before thy face, to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

20  Should evil be rendered for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul! Remember that I have stood in your sight, so as to speak on their behalf for good, and to avert your indignation from them.

18:21  Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and hurl them to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men smitten of the sword in battle.

21  Therefore do thou deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword: let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fall by the sword in war.

21  Because of this, give their sons over to famine, and bring them to the hand of the sword. Let their wives be widows without children. And let their husbands be slain by death. Let their youths be stabbed with the sword in battle.

18:22  Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

22  Let there be a cry in their houses: thou shalt bring upon them robbers suddenly: for they have formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me.

22  Let an outcry be heard from their houses. For you will lead the robber upon them suddenly. For they have dug a pit, so that they may seize me, and they have hidden snares for my feet.

18:23  Yet, YHWH, Thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me; forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from Thy sight; but let them be made to stumble before Thee; Deal Thou with them in the time of Thine anger.

23  And thou, Lord, knowest all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquities guiltless, and blot not out their sins from before thee: let their weakness come before thee; deal with them in the time of thy wrath.

23  But you, O Lord, know all their plans against me unto death. May you not forgive their iniquity, and do not allow their sin be taken away from your face. Let them be thrown down in your sight, in the time of your fury, so that you may destroy them.